story belongs to sunbeamed @ao3
>keith<
keith felt lance's disappearance more than he'd like anyone to know. it hurt, pained him even. no bright smiles returned with scowls in the hallway between classes, no weekend plans theoretically all mapped out but in reality wide open for wherever the night took them. he felt the hole lance left in his life wherever he went. but keith knew that he'd feel this way if any of his friends ended up in the hospital. right? this was normal. he sure hoped it was normal to miss someone with this much ache, this much longing. keith felt like a kid with a cavity (too much of a good thing had rotted him, ruined him for anything but what he had grown so fond of, and now life would have to take it away).
>hunk<
hunk understood why his roommate would want to visit lance so badly, he really did. but he also knew lance. lance, the golden boy. lance, the one who planned their outings and was untouchable on the dancefloor of any party. lance, who would never want anyone to know how badly he himself was truly hurting. he couldn't betray his best friend like that. especially if the person he was letting see lance's hurt was keith. no way would that go over well.
>?<
he really was a golden boy: lance, untouchable lance
uncontrollable,
astonishing, wonderful, immaculate lance.
lance, anxiety-ridden and hurting lance. lance who often times couldn't sleep at night because panic flooded his mind and his mother always told him to not fall asleep with the water running. lance who loved deeply and fully and unconditionally unless someone gave him reason not to. the golden boy that would crumble in fear if anyone got close enough to really touch, really see him.
>hunk<
he couldn't let keith see him. shouldn't let keith see him until at very least he was awake. but as much of a friend to lance hunk was, he was also a friend to keith. the same keith that he found drifting aimlessly around campus whenever he was around. the guy who now stared at the walls of their dorm like they were picassos or kahlos, searching for something that hunk feared he was actively keeping him from. he really couldn't let keith see lance. really really couldn't.
until one day he began to think he could.
>keith<
it was raining the day hunk finally broke. he had gotten back late from the hospital in search of a phone charger and fresh clothes and keith noticed how quietly he opened the door to their room, as if not to shatter the silence he was soaking in all this time.
"how is he?' keith asked, shattering the silence for himself. a sigh, intended to be discreet but made almost unbearably clear by the brief quiet between them.
"better. still not awake." keith felt himself fall.
"so no visit?" he prompted gently, providing his best puppy-dog eyes paired with a pitiful frown.
"i don't think now is the right time." the pain, the restraint in hunks voice dripped from his words, bleeding with the desire to allow his roommate some closure.
more silence. keith was getting sick of all the silence around his dorm, like a virus festering between the four walls he was supposed to be sharing. hunk was like a ghost, barely around and barely sharing anything like the way he used to. he gave all of his time, all of his attention and effort to lance's betterment and, though keith didn't blame him, the loneliness enclosing him quickly became overwhelming. keith didn't have much of anyone anymore besides hunk, now that lance was in the hospital. (it didn't help that pidge never went outside or socialized and shiro and matt lived a thousand miles away, or something that felt like that, and allura was studying abroad and everything was different now.)
"you sure?" keith hoped that hunk knew he was half gone already, not having enough words to express the way he needed to see lance and not having the courage to express them even if he did.
a longer pause. more sighing. keith could practically hear hunk's thoughts running around in his mind, warring over betraying his best friends wishes or denying his roommate the visit he so desired. hunk turned back to him and keith realized that at some point he must of not noticed him turning away in the first place.
"i really shouldn't let you keith," he said, "i'm sure you can tell how hard this is for me. i don't like keeping you away from him, you know." it sure didn't feel that way.
keith refused to look up, worried that he would be met with more rejection. but when he finally did the amber eyes that bore back into his were clouded with guilt, with sadness. and then with something different, a golden light rushing forth like something previously holding it back snapped in the soul within those irises.
"if you promise to never tell him," he muttered quietly, almost too quick to catch, "i might consider taking you with me tomorrow."
what? were keith's ears working properly?
"excuse me?" he asked, hopes soaring high at the mention of being reunited with his friend.
"ifyoupromisetonevertelllanceyoucancomewithmetomorrow."
oh. his ears definitely did not deceive him.
"okay," he said confidently, honestly and fully, "i promise."
